On Tuesday, a gunman confronted the Panama City school board in Florida and opened fire, sending members of the board fleeing for their lives. A security guard then entered the scene, exchanged gunfire with the gunman, wounding the gunman, who then turned the gun on himself. The entire dramatic scene was captured on video.
Witnesses indicate that the gunman approached the podium and spray-painted a red “V” with a circle around it before the entire incident took place. The symbol is the same used in the graphic novel series and movie V for Vendetta.
Fox News reports, “In video of the clash that lasted several minutes, Duke dispassionately confronts the Bay District school board, telling everyone in the room to leave except the men on the board. Duke, who was wearing a dark pullover coat, stands about eight feet directly in front of the board with the gun at his side.”
Ginger Littleton, one of the people ordered to leave the room, returned to the room to sneak up behind the gunman and hit him on his arm with her large purse as “the last attempt or opportunity to divert him,” she explained.
Instead, the gunman turned toward her and pointed his gun to her head. Littleton fell to the ground. For a reason unknown, the gunman did not shoot the woman.
“He had every opportunity to take me out,” Littleton said.
Following that incident and prior to the gunfire, the Bay City Schools superintendent attempted to calmly take charge of the situation, even when the gunman, Clay A. Duke, threatened to shoot. Superintendent Bill Husfelt tried to persuade Duke to put down his gun, but the gunman ignored Husfelt’s request and instead discussed his wife’s termination from the district. Duke failed to identify his wife, or her former position, to the board. Husfelt bravely tried to take full blame for Duke’s wife’s termination, and asked Duke to let the rest of the board leave.
Husfelt told Duke, “I’ve got a feeling you want the cops to come in and kill you because you said you are going to die today.” He added that it is not worth it.
Video footage reveals that following Husfelt’s remarks, the gunman slowly raised his gun on Husfelt, who said, “Please don’t, please don’t,” and fired two shots, both which missed. The gunman then proceeded to fire several other shots, none of which hit their mark.
District security chief and former police officer Mike Jones ran in and shot Duke, ending his shooting spree. At that point, Duke pointed the gun on himself and committed suicide. SWAT officers stormed the room soon after.
Jones was visibly distraught following his shooting of the gunman, announcing that he had never shot anyone before.
School district personnel director Tommy Lou Richardson called Jones a hero for his actions.
Miraculously, despite the number of gunshots fired and the proximity of the gunman to his potential victims, no one else was hurt.
Remarking on the tragedy, superintendent Bill Husfelt said, “We could tell by the look in his eyes that this wasn’t going to end well.”
“It was so surreal. You couldn’t believe it was going on. He said his wife was fired, but we really don’t know what he was talking about. I don’t think he knew what he was talking about.”
Noting the scenario could have had more tragic results, he added, “It could have been a monumental tragedy. God was standing in front of me and I will go to my grave believing that.”
Records show that Duke had a history of violence. In 1999, he was charged with aggravated stalking, shooting, and throwing a missile into a building or vehicle and obstructing justice. He was sentenced to five years but was released four years later.
